Poultry feeding device

ABSTRACT

A feeding device for birds, in particular for breeders with a limited, predetermined daily ration of feed. The device has a dish-shaped pan with a bottom and upright peripheral wall, a drop tube with an open upper end which can be coupled to a feed supply system. The drop tube also has a lower end which is situated above the dish-shaped pan. The sum of the volume of the dish-shaped pan and the feed volume of the drop tube is at most equal to the volume of the sum of the daily rations of feed for the birds feeding at the device at the same time. A filling element may be provided in the drop tube, spaced from the inner wall of the drop tube.

The invention relates to a feeding device for birds, in particular forbreeders with a limited, predetermined daily ration of feed, comprising:an essentially dish-shaped pan with a bottom and an upright peripheralwall; and a drop tube with an open upper end which is adapted to becoupled with a feed supply tube of a feed supply system containing anumber of feeding devices, and with an open lower end which is situatedabove the dish-shaped pan.

Similar devices are known in many embodiments, e.g. from EP-A-0 421 553,and are intended primarily for raising broilers in large-scale breedingfarms with birds, such as chickens, walking freely in closed breedinghouses. For this kind of use it is important to have sufficient feedavailable in the feeding devices at any time, so that the birds rightfrom the moment they are put in the breeding house continuously can findfeed, and in this way grow to the desired weight in the shortestpossible time.

For breeders, i.e. female or male animals which are destined to provideoffspring, other standards apply, which can be derived from GB-A-1 022509. To be sure, the birds also in this case should have unlimitedaccess to feed in the feeding device till the time they are about one tothree weeks old, but after that time the feed is strongly rationed toprevent the birds from gaining too much weight; from then on the birdsare only fed once a day with an accurately predetermined daily ration offeed for each bird. In the case of rationing, at the moment the feedingstarts, the birds have a great need for feed, and it is therefore of theutmost importance that all feeding devices, e.g. as disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 3,230,933, are filled simultaneously to enable each bird to eatits daily ration, but no more than that.

In the prior art feeding devices, e.g. as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.3,230,933, to which devices feed is supplied with a system comprising afeed supply tube containing feed conveying means, feeding devices beingcoupled to the feed supply tube at regular intervals, in normaloperation it is not possible to always fill all feeding devicessimultaneously and to about the same extent, taking into considerationthe large volume of feed the drop tube and in particular the pan cancontain. This is caused mainly by the limited amount of feed which is tobe distributed among the feeding devices, and to a lesser extent by thelimited throughput of the feed supply tube and the capacity of the feedsupply tube portion between two adjacent feeding devices being coupledto the tube. Starting from an empty or poorly filled feed supply tube ofthe feed supply system, this has the drawback that in the initial phaseand in the course of a feeding operation only a limited number offeeding devices can be filled, and moreover only to a different extent.On the other hand, starting from a fully or almost fully filled feedsupply system, the feed conveying means can be allowed to operate onlyuntil the daily rations of feed--which now are distributedsimultaneously and evenly--have been supplied to each feeding device.Thus, after a feeding some feed remains in the feed supply system, whichfeed is supplied to the feeding devices during the next feeding.Consequently the situation in which the feed supply system at thebeginning of a feeding is empty or almost empty, is inevitably reachedperiodically, with the associated drawback. The undesired result is anuneven distribution of the feed over the birds present, some birdseating more feed than the daily ration intended for each of them, andother birds capturing less feed than the daily ration of feed intendedfor each of them. In this way a lot of commotion develops between thebirds in the breeding farm, and this situation does not contribute totheir health, growth and uniformity.

The object of the invention is to bring the volume of feed to be held inthe feeding device into conformity with the quantity of feed to bedistributed, and with the capacity of the feed supply system, and inthis way effect that all feeding devices are always filled from thestart of a feeding at the same time and practically to the same extent.

According to the invention, the feeding device of the abovementionedtype for this purpose is characterized in that the sum of the volume ofthe dish-shaped pan and the feed volume of the drop tube is at mostequal to the volume of the sum of the daily rations of feed for thenumber of birds intended to be feeding at the feeding device at the sametime at an even distribution of birds over the feeding devices in thefeed supply system, such that the feed supply tube between two adjacentfeeding devices coupled with the tube, is filled practically fully withfeed continuously, whereby at starting conveyance of feed through thefeed supply tube a first quantity of feed arrives in each feeding deviceof the feed supply system directly, which first quantity of feed isamply sufficient to bridge the time needed to supply the remainingquantity of feed to each feeding device, so that all feeding devices arealways filled from the start of a feeding at the same time andpractically to the same extent. In this context the volume of thedish-shaped pan refers to the content of the pan filled to the upperedge of the upright peripheral wall thereof. By this measure accordingto the invention, the volume of feed which the feeding device cancontain, is greatly reduced with respect to the volume of prior artfeeding devices. Accordingly, not only the intended simultaneous andeven filling of the feeding devices is realized, but also the rate ofeating of the birds will be lowered, since a small feed areacorresponding to the small volume attained in the dish-shaped panimpedes the access to the feed. The use of feeding devices according tothe invention is particularly effective in feed supply systems with afeed supply tube forming a closed loop.

In the case of chickens the daily ration for one breeder of at leastabout three weeks old is about 35 grams. Assuming fourteen chickensfeeding at one feeding device at the same time, the sum of the dailyrations of feed for one feeding device is 490 grams, the sum of thevolume of the dish-shaped pan and the volume of the drop tube intendedfor containing feed e.g. being equal to a volume of feed correspondingto 350-400 grams of feed.

Preferably, when in a way known per se above the dish-shaped pan aspacing grille is provided, which grille extends in radial directionsfrom the drop tube, and bounds passage openings with such dimensions,that birds put on rations cannot pass the passage openings with theirbody, the dimensions of the spacing grille are selected such that thelargest diameter of the spacing grille is substantially greater than thediameter of the upright peripheral wall of the dish-shaped pan. In thisway it can be prevented, that around the feeding device along theperiphery of the dish-shaped pan too many birds pushing each other awayassemble at a feeding. Moreover, the access to the feed is impededfurther, and the eating rate is reduced correspondingly.

In a preferred embodiment the largest diameter of the spacing grille isat least about twice as large as the diameter of the upright peripheralwall of the dish-shaped pan. In this way, with the usual feeding deviceouter dimensions (for chickens a diameter of the feeding device of about33 cm is usual) optimum conditions are created with respect to thenumber of birds feeding at the same time at the feeding device, and tothe volume of the sum of the daily rations of feed in relation to thevolume of the dish-shaped pan and the volume of the drop tube intendedfor containing feed.

Advantageously, around the dish-shaped pan an essentially dish-shapedspill tray with a bottom and an upright peripheral wall for catchingspilled feed from the dish-shaped pan is provided. In this way, possiblyspilled feed remains easily accessible for the birds being around thefeeding device, so as little as possible of the daily ration of feed foreach bird, which ration already is small, is lost. In a preferredembodiment the upper edge of the upright peripheral wall of thedish-shaped pan is as high as or slightly lower than the upper edge ofthe upright peripheral wall of the spill tray. This provides the birds,in particular when they are younger than about one week, a clear anddirect view of the feed in the dish-shaped pan, so that they will findthe feed easily and quickly. Preferably, for this purpose the height ofthe upright peripheral wall of the spill tray is at most about 6 cm. Toensure that the dish-shaped pan is emptied completely by the birds,advantageously the dish-shaped pan is shallower than the spill tray.

A large reduction of the volume of the drop tube intended for containingfeed, is obtained by a filling element which is provided in the droptube spaced from the inner wall thereof. Such a filling element can bedesigned in many ways, but preferably such that the transversedimensions of the filling element decrease in the direction of the upperend of the drop tube. By this measure a good distribution of the feedover the cross-section of the drop tube available for the feed, isobtained. In a simple and effective way, the side of the filling elementfacing the upper end of the drop tube is essentially conical. In thiscontext a frusto-conical form may be referred to, or also a combinationof cones with different conicity extending in line with each other.However, the filling element can also be essentially paraboloidical orellipsoidical.

In a preferred embodiment the filling element is constituted by acentral upright part of the bottom of the dish-shaped pan. Such afilling element can easily be manufactured as a whole with thedish-shaped pan.

On the other hand, or in addition to this, it is possible to connect afilling element with the inner wall of the drop tube. In a preferredembodiment, such a filling element consists of a second drop tube beingparallel to the first drop tube, and having an open upper end which isadapted to fit to a feed discharge opening of the feed supply system,and having an open lower end which is situated above the bottom of thedish-shaped pan. With this measure not only the effective cross-sectionof the drop tube for passing feed is strongly reduced, but the feednormally being thrown by the feed conveying system out of an opening inthe feed supply tube essentially against one side of the first droptube, now directly arrives in the first drop tube much more centrally.This leads to an improved distribution of the feed in the dish-shapedpan along its periphery.

The prior art feeding device has a drop tube which can be moved axiallyover a limited, variable distance relative to the bottom of thedish-shaped pan between a low position and a high position, the dropbeing provided along its circumference with feed discharge openingswhich in the high position of the drop tube are obstructed by a collarextending around it, and in the low position of the drop tube allow afree passage of feed. If such an arrangement is used in a feeding deviceaccording to the invention which is provided with a filling elementconsisting of a central upright part of the bottom of the dish-shapedpan, the drop tube and the filling element preferably are designed insuch a way, that the transverse dimensions of the central upright partof the bottom of the dish-shaped pan and the cross-section of the upperpart of the drop tube in the direction of the upper end of the drop tubedecrease, while the lower part of the drop tube is essentiallycylindrical and provided with the feed discharge openings. With thesemeasures it can be ensured, that the cross-section of the space which isbounded by the inner wall of the drop tube and the side of the centralupright part of the bottom of the dish-shaped pan facing the inner wallof the drop tube, in the low position of the drop tube in the directionof the bottom of the dish-shaped pan remains constant or increases, andin the high position of the drop tube decreases. In the low position ofthe drop tube, which is set when unlimited feed is supplied to veryyoung growing breeders, the feed can consequently flow easily throughthe drop tube. In the high position of the drop tube, which mainly isused when the breeders are rationed, the flow of feed through the droptube is slowed down. This contributes considerably to the intendedreduction of the eating rate of the birds.

It will be clear from the above, that the reduction of the feed contentof the feeding device according to the invention can be attained byreducing the size of the dish-shaped pan, or by providing a fillingelement in the drop tube, or by both measures in combination.

The invention is explained in more detail with the accompanyingdrawings, in which different embodiments of a feeding device accordingto the invention are shown, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of the feedingdevice according to the invention, suspended from a feed supply tube ofa feed supply system;

FIG. 2 shows the feeding device according to FIG. 1 on a reduced scaleand in exploded view;

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the feeding device according toFIG. 1, the drop tube being in its low position;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-section similar to FIG. 3, the drop tube being inits high position;

FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of a second embodiment of the feedingdevice according to the invention;

FIG. 6 shows a cross-section of a third embodiment of the feeding deviceaccording to the invention; and

FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of a fourth embodiment of a feeding deviceaccording to the invention.

The same reference numerals relate to the same parts or to parts withthe same function in the figures.

FIGS. 1-4 show a feeding device with an essentially dish-shaped pan 2with an upright peripheral wall 4. The dish-shaped pan 2 forms a wholewith an also essentially dish-shaped spill tray 3 with an uprightperipheral wall 5, the spill tray extending around the pan. The spilltray 3 is not absolutely essential for the invention, and can also beomitted, as shown in FIG. 7. At the upper edge of the upright peripheralwall 5 a snap ring 6 of a grille 8 is mounted with a snap connection.The grille 8 comprises a number of flat, curved bars 10, in the presentcase fourteen, which bars 10 extend from the snap ring 6 to, and areconnected to an annular body 12. The number of bars 10 is selected inview of a good distribution of the birds to be fed with the feedingdevice along the periphery of the pan 2. The annular body 12 is at theinner side thereof provided with a thread 12a, which can engage a thread14a provided on the outer side of a cylindrical adjusting collar 14.Accordingly, the adjusting collar 14 can be moved and set in a directiontowards the pan 2 and in the opposite direction by rotating theadjusting edge 16 forming a whole with it. In the adjusting collar 14 adrop tube 18 is provided, which in the longitudinal direction thereofcan be moved over a limited distance. The drop tube 18 is open at thelower end and at the upper end thereof. The upper end is designed suchthat it can be coupled to a feed supply tube 24 of a feed supply systemby means of a clamping element 22. In the feed supply tube 24 the feedby way of example is conveyed by means of a helical member (not shown)known from the prior art, the feed supply tube 24 at the position of thedrop tube 18 being provided with one or more openings through which feedfrom the feed supply tube 24 through the drop tube 18 can be broughtinto the pan 2. In the upper portion of the drop tube 18 a fillingelement 19 designed as a second drop tube is mounted by means ofradially and in the longitudinal direction of the drop tube 18 extendingbridges 20. The filling element 19 has an open upper end, which connectsto the or each opening of the feed supply tube 24 at the position of thedrop tube 18, and an open lower end. The cross-section of the upper partof the drop tube 18 is essentially rectangular, while the lower portionof the drop tube 18 has a circular cross-section, and is partly conical,and partly cylindrical. The cylindrical portion near the lower end ofthe drop tube 18 is nearly completely made open by providing it withfeed discharge openings, which at the lower side thereof are bounded bya ring 21 on the outside of which radial projections 21a are provided.In this arrangement, the drop tube 18 can take two defined positions: alow position which is shown in FIG. 3 and is determined by the ring 21resting on the bottom of the pan 2, and a high position which is shownin FIG. 4 and is determined by the projections 21a abutting against thelower edge of the adjusting collar 14. It will be clear from the above,that the high position can be set within certain limits by choosing acertain angular position of the adjusting collar 14 relative to theannular body 12.

The dish-shaped pan 2 is shallower than the spill tray 3.

Centrally in the dish-shaped pan 2 there is an upright part 34, which isa whole with the bottom of the pan 2, and extends over a large part inthe drop tube 18 over the length of the drop tube. In the embodimentshown in FIGS. 1-4, the upper end of the upright part 34 in the lowposition of the drop tube reaches to the lower edge of the fillingelement 19. However, the upright part 34 can also be longer or shorter.

The use of the above-described feeding device will be explained ingreater detail with the aid of FIGS. 3 and 4.

In the low position of the drop tube 18 shown in FIG. 3, the feedingdevice rests on the ground. This low position is used for breeders whichare very young, e.g. less than one week old. In this part of theirlives, the birds are allowed to eat unlimited quantities of feed, andfor this purpose feed is supplied to the feeding device through the feedsupply tube 24 in such quantities, that at least a part of the drop tube18 is always full. The maximum filling height of the pan 2 is indicatedwith dashed lines, the feed filling the space between the centralupright part 34 and the drop tube 18 being at maximum on the levelindicated with dashed lines in the drop tube 18. The very young birdscan pass the bars 10 of the grille 8 to reach the feed present in thepan 2. The upright peripheral wall 5 of the spill tray 3 is particularlylow so that it does not take away the view of the feed present in thepan 2 for the young birds. Additionally the low peripheral wall 5 can beclimbed over easily by the young birds.

The high position of the drop tube 18 of the feeding device shown inFIG. 4, is set when the breeders have completed the starting perioddescribed above, and generally are more than one week old. At thatmoment, the feeding device generally does not rest on the groundanymore, but hangs free above the ground from the feed supply tube 24 ofthe feed supply system. In this case at first during a period of timewhich may last a few weeks, feed is still supplied to the feeding devicein unlimited quantities, but after this period of time only apredetermined quantity of feed is supplied each day, which quantity isthe daily ration of feed for the number of birds taking its feed fromthe feeding device. In FIG. 4 the maximum feed levels in the feedingdevice are again indicated with dashed lines. The volume of feed whichthe feeding device can contain is smaller than, or equal to the dailyration of feed for the number of birds taking its feed from the feedingdevice, by virtue of the particularly small dimensions of thedish-shaped pan 2 and the presence of the filling element 19 and thecentral upright part 34 in the drop tube 18. In this way the feed supplytube 24 can be filled practically fully with feed continuously, so thatalways a reliable and simultaneous distribution of the feed over allfeeding devices being part of the feeding system, is ensured. Thesuspension height of the feeding device above the ground is tuned to thesize of the birds to be fed. The birds are kept at a distance from thepan 2 containing the feed and distributed along the periphery of thefeeding device by the grille 8, thus ensuring an even distribution ofthe feed over the birds at the feeding device. Due to the fact that inthe feed supply tube 24 between two adjacent feeding devices coupledwith the tube, feed is always present, at starting the conveyance offeed through the feed supply tube 24 a first quantity of feed arrives ineach feeding device of the feeding system directly. Taking into accountthe limited feed content of the feeding device according to theinvention and the limited eating rate possible, this starting quantityof feed is amply sufficient to bridge the time needed under rationconditions to supply the remaining quantity of feed to each feedingdevice.

In the embodiment of the feeding device shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 aparticularly good distribution of feed over the dish-shaped pan 2 isattained. The filling element 19 in the drop tube 18 namely ensures,that the feed coming from the feed supply tube 24 comes centrally in thedrop tube 18. Next, the feed is led through the space between the droptube 18 and the upright part 34 to the pan 2. In the low position of thedrop tube 18 shown in FIG. 3 the cross-section of the space determinedby the drop tube 18 and the upright part 34 increases in the directionof the pan 2, making it easy for the feed to flow into the pan 2. On thecontrary, in the high position of the drop tube 18 shown in FIG. 4 thecross-section of the space determined by the drop tube 18 and theupright part 34 decreases in the direction of the pan 2, impeding theflow of feed to a certain extent, and lowering the eating rate of thebirds. Since in the high position of the drop tube 18 the feeding devicegenerally hangs free from the feed supply tube 24 and hinges in a planeat right angles to the longitudinal axis of the feed supply tube, thepan 2 also being rotatable round its vertical axis of symmetry, anobstruction of the feed in the drop tube 18 is impossible, in spite ofsaid decreasing cross-section, by virtue of the eating birdscontinuously pushing the feeding device and moving it to and fro.

The embodiment of the feeding device according to FIG. 5 essentiallycorresponds with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, except for the droptube 18' and the central upright part 34' of the pan 2. The drop tube18' is at its lower end provided with legs 36 extending in thelongitudinal direction of the drop tube 18' and in the radial direction.In the low position of the drop tube 18', the legs 36 ensure apredetermined distance between the lower edge of the drop tube 18' andthe bottom of the dish-shaped pan 2 for the intended outflow of feedfrom the drop tube 18' into the pan 2. Furthermore, the drop tube 18' isnear the lower end thereof provided with a radially bulging part, beinga stop for determining the high position of the drop tube 18' againstthe lower edge of the adjusting collar 14. In the drop tube 18' there isa central upright part 34' of the bottom of the pan 2, which uprightpart 34' has a rounded upper end. A filling element such as 19 in FIG. 3and 4 is omitted in this embodiment.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 the spill tray 3 is provided with afrusto-conical central upright part 38, on which the dish-shaped pan 2is fixed. The low position of the drop tube 18" shown in the figure isdetermined by the legs 36, by which the drop tube 18" rests on thebottom of the pan 2. The upper sides of the legs 36 are provided with astop edge, which in the high position of the drop tube 18" abuts thelower edge of the adjusting collar 14. A central upright part 34 extendsfrom the bottom of the pan 2 as a filling element in the drop tube 18".

The embodiment of the feeding device according to FIG. 7 essentiallycorresponds to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, except for the spilltray 3 which is omitted here. Therefore, the grille 8' is designed insuch a way that it is fixed with its bars 10' to the upright peripheralwall 4 of the pan 2, maintaining the function of spacing element forrationed birds relative to the pan 2, and distributing element for birdsbeing at the feeding device.

I claim:
 1. Feeding device for breeder birds with a limited,predetermined daily ration of feed, comprising:an essentiallydish-shaped pan with a bottom and an upright peripheral wall; and a droptube with an open upper end which is adapted to be coupled with a feedsupply system containing a number of feeding devices, and with an openlower end which is situated above the dish-shaped pan, wherein the sumof the volume of the dish-shaped pan and the feed volume of the droptube is chosen to be at most equal to but not larger than the volume ofthe sum of the daily rations of feed for the number of breeder birdsintended to be feeding at the feeding device at the same time at an evendistribution of birds over the feeding devices in the feed supplysystem.
 2. Feeding device according to claim 1, wherein above thedish-shaped pan a spacing grille extending in radial directions from thedrop tube is provided, which spacing grille bounds passage openings withsuch dimensions, that birds put on rations cannot pass the passageopenings with their body, wherein the largest diameter of the spacinggrille is substantially greater than the diameter of the uprightperipheral wall of the dish-shaped pan.
 3. Feeding device according toclaim 2, wherein the largest diameter of the spacing grille is at leastabout twice as large as the diameter of the upright peripheral wall ofthe dish-shaped pan.
 4. Feeding device according to claim 1, whereinaround the dish-shaped pan an essentially dish-shaped spill tray with abottom and an upright peripheral wall for catching spilled feed from thedish-shaped pan is provided.
 5. Feeding device according to claim 4,wherein the upper edge of the upright peripheral wall of the dish-shapedpan is as high as or slightly lower than the upper edge of the uprightperipheral wall of the spill tray.
 6. Feeding device according to claim4, wherein the height of the upright peripheral wall of the spill trayis at most about 6 cm.
 7. Feeding device according to claim 4, whereinthe dish-shaped pan is shallower than the spill tray.
 8. Feeding deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein a filling element is provided in the droptube spaced from the inner wall thereof.
 9. Feeding device according toclaim 8, wherein the transverse dimensions of the filling elementdecrease in the direction of the upper end of the drop tube.
 10. Feedingdevice according to claim 9, wherein the side of the filling elementfacing the upper end of the drop tube is essentially conical. 11.Feeding device according to claim 8, wherein the filling elementcomprises a central upright part of the bottom of the dish-shaped pan.12. Feeding device according to claim 8, wherein said filling elementfurther comprises a second drop tube being parallel to the first droptube, and having an open upper end which is adapted to fit to a feeddischarge opening of the feed supply system, and having an open lowerend which is situated above the bottom of the dish-shaped pan. 13.Feeding device according to claim 11, wherein the drop tube can be movedaxially over a limited, variable distance relative to the bottom of thedish-shaped pan between a low position and a high position, the droptube being provided along its circumference with feed discharge openingswhich in the high position of the drop tube are obstructed by a collarextending around it, and in the low position of the drop tube allow afree passage of feed, wherein the transverse dimensions of the centralupright part of the bottom of the dish-shaped pan and the cross-sectionof the upper part of the drop tube in the direction of the upper end ofthe drop tube decrease, while the lower part of the drop tube isessentially cylindrical and provided with the feed discharge openings.14. Feeding device for birds, in particular for breeders with a limited,predetermined daily ration of feed, comprising:an essentiallydish-shaped pan with a bottom and an upright peripheral wall; a droptube with an open upper end which is adapted to be coupled with a feedsupply system containing a number of feeding devices, and with an openlower end which is situated above said dish-shaped pan, wherein the sumof the volume of said dish-shaped pan and the feed volume of said droptube is at most equal to the volume of the sum of the daily rations offeed for the number of birds intended to be feeding at the feedingdevice at the same time at an even distribution of birds over thefeeding devices in the feed supply system; a filling element provided insaid drop tube spaced from the inner wall thereof, wherein said fillingelement comprises a central upright part of the bottom of saiddish-shaped pan; and, wherein said drop tube can be moved axially over alimited, variable distance relative to the bottom of said dish-shapedpan between a low position and a high position, said drop tube beingprovided along its circumference with feed discharge openings which inthe high position of said drop tube are obstructed by a collar extendingaround it, and in the low position of said drop tube allow a freepassage of feed, wherein the transverse dimensions of the centralupright part of the bottom of said dish-shaped pan and the cross-sectionof the upper part of said drop tube in the direction of the upper end ofsaid drop tube decrease, while the lower part of said drop tube isessentially cylindrical and provided with the feed discharge openings.15. Method for feeding breeder birds with a limited predetermined dailyration of feed, comprising the steps:providing a feed supply system forbreeder birds, comprising at least two feeding devices coupled by a feedsupply tube, each feeding device comprising an essentially dish-shapedpan with a bottom and an upright peripheral wall, each feeding devicefurther comprising a drop tube with an open upper end which is adaptedto be coupled with the feed supply tube, and with an open lower endwhich is situated above the dish-shaped pan, wherein the sum of thevolume of the dish-shaped pan and the feed volume of the drop tube ischosen to be at most equal to but not larger than the volume of the sumof the daily rations of feed for the number of breeder birds intended tobe feeding at the feeding device at the same time at an evendistribution of birds over the feeding devices in the feed supplysystem; and filling the feed supply tube substantially full with feed,at least between adjacent feeding devices coupled with the feed supplytube, whereby upon starting conveyance of the feed through the feedsupply tube a first quantity of feed arrives in each feeding device ofthe feed supply system directly, which first quantity of feed issufficient to bridge the time needed to supply the remaining quantity offeed to each feeding device, so that all feeding devices coupled to thefeed supply tube are filled simultaneously and to substantially the sameextent.
 16. Feeding device for birds, in particular for breeders with alimited, predetermined daily ration of feed, comprising:an essentiallydish-shaped pan with a bottom and an upright peripheral wall; and a droptube with an open upper end which is adapted to be coupled with a feedsupply system containing a number of feeding devices, and with an openlower end which is situated above the dish-shaped pan, wherein the sumof the volume of the dish-shaped pan and the feed volume of the droptube is chosen to be at most equal to but not larger than the volume ofthe sum of the daily rations of feed for the number of birds intended tobe feeding at the feeding device at the same time at an evendistribution of birds over the feeding devices in the feed supplysystem, and wherein a filling element is provided in the drop tubespaced from the inner wall thereof.